Waterproofing and making posts

[peter nap]

I finally got a quote of foundation grade 6X6's. $144.50 each!

After taking my Geritol I remembered when we made our own pump jack posts because they didn't break whereas the 4X4's did sometimes.

I'm going to make up my own 6X6's out of plain old Big Box Store salt treated 2X6's West System Epoxy (I used to build boats and have about 10 gallons) and screws.

After a long night looking at waterproofing compounds and looking at the treatments used by the super pole companies, I came up with this:
http://www.karnakcorp.com/pro_wp.html

The 229AR Elastomeric comes in a paintable version and after talking to the tech people there, would be perfect for dipping. Today, I'm getting out the cutting torch and making a dipping tank.

I'm setting the poles 5 feet deep so I'll dip to 5.5'.

It seems to be pretty much the same thing used here:
http://www.postsaverusa.com/smartpost.html

[JRR]

Have you considered  homemade steel reinforced concrete posts?  Formed 8x8's with a wrap of hog wire fencing near the outside, a piece of #6 rebar in the center would be pretty stout ... could be poured vertically in place ... would last "forever".  

But I am not a structural engineer ... just a novice thinking out loud!

[peter nap]

I have and will use them in the center support sections for the joists but this is a pole structure with John's roof.

Some of the poles are 25' long. I need a total of 40 poles not counting the center supports.